Apparatus for raising sunken vessels.



F. W. PENDERGAST. APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSEL'S.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1918.

Patented Feb. 11,1919.

WW MTU/ V A/A" I f 4 4 FHAV FREDERICK W. PENDERGAST, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR RAISING SUNKEN VESSELS.

Application filed May 7, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. PEN- DERGAST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Raising Sunken Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is embodied in an apparatus comprising an elongated weighted cable adapted to be adjusted to surround a portion of the hull of a submerged vessel, a plurality of air-tight inflatable bags, sheaths of heavy woven fabric inclosing said bags and securing the bags to the cable, said sheaths being adapted to bear on side portions of the hull above the cable, and means for drawing portions of the cable toward each other and confining said portions to form an inexpansible cradle closely embracing the lower portion of the hull, the said cradle being formed and maintained in an inexpansible condition prior to the inflation of the said bags, so that the bags when inflated are securely connected with the hull and adapted to raise the same from the bottom of a body bf water of considerable depth.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying the invention, the cable being shown in position to partly form a cradle.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the portions of the cable drawn toward each other to form an inexpansible cradle.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross section of a hull, showing the apparatus of my invention engaged with the hull, and as it appears before inflation.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4:, showing the raising means inflated.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the weighted slide link hereinafter described.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 77 of Fig. 6, showing the slide link engaged with two portions of the cable.

Fig. 8 is a side view of a portion of the cable, showing a separable link employed to separably connect two sections of the cable.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents an elon- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Serial No. 233,014.

gated weighted cable, preferably composed of chain links.

With the cable is associated a suitable raising means, here shown as embodied in a plurality of inflatable bags 13 (Fig. 3), each bag being inclosed in a sheath 14- of strong woven fabric, each sheath being preferably woven in cylindrical or tubular form, from relatively heavy cord or rope, the ends of the tubular fabric being suitably closed over opposite ends of the rubber bag 13. Portions of the cable 12 pass through the sheaths 14:, said sheaths and the bags being flattened, as indicated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, when the bags are deflated, the cable passing through the lower portion of each sheath and between the sheath and the lower portion of the accompanying bag 13. When the apparatus is submerged, the weight of the cable causes it to rest on the bottom of a body of water, the bags containing sufficient air to cause the bags and sheaths to project upwardly from the cable.

Each bag may be inflated through a tube 16 connected with its upper portion and extending to and above the surface of the water in which the appantus is submerged.

The cable and its raising means may he dropped into the water while thecable is substantially straight, and allowed to sink until the mid length of the cable is in suitable proximity to either the bow or stern of a submerged vessel, the free ends of the cable being supported by :scows or pontoons at the surface of the water. The cable is then adjusted to swing the portions provided with the raising means inwardly toward opposite sides of the keel 20 of the vessel, the position of the keel being indicated by the straight dotted line in Figs. 1 and 2. When the cable is adjusted, as shown by Fig. 1, the portions which rest on the bottom diverge from each other, the terminal portions of the cable extending upwardly to the surface. The upstanding portions of the cable are next brought into close proximity to each other at the surface, so that the upstanding portions converge from the portions resting on the bottom, as shown by Fig. 1. The upstanding portions are next drawn toward each other to cause the portions resting on the bottom to form an inexpansible cradle extending beside the keel at-opposite sides thereof and closely embracing the lower portion of the hull.

I have embodied the' means for drawing the upstanding portions of the cable toward each other in a weighted slide link 21, movable by gravity on the upstanding portions of the cable, and provided with means for engaging portions of the cable to prevent expansion of the completed cradle. To this end the link 21 may be provided with a pair of dogs 22, pivoted to the link at 23, and adapted to engage links of the cable 21, as shown by Fig. 7, the arrangement of the dogs and the passages in the link 21 through which the chains pass being such that the link is adapted to move freely downward on the upstanding portions of the cable by gravity, and is prevented from moving in the opposite direction on the cable. The slide link 21 is applied to the ends of the cable above the surface, and is then released and allowed to descend by gravity, the weight of the link being suhicient to cause it in its descent to forcibly draw not only the upstanding portions of the cable toward each other, but also the portions resting on the bottom, so that when the link reaches the bottom it connects two portions of the cable in such manner as to form an inexpansible cradle, as represented by Fig. 2, said cradle closely embracing the lower portion of the hull near the keel-thereof, as indicated by Fig. 4.

The inflatable bags and their sheaths now bear on the sides of the hull and are ready for inflation. The capacity of the bags is such that when they are inflated, as indicated by Fig. 5, they are adapted to raise the vessel to the surface. When the bags are inflated the inner sides of the sheaths conform to overhanging portions of the sides of the hull, so that an eflicient lifting action is exerted, without involving severe strain on the cable.

The cable may be composed of separably connected sections, each section being contained in a sheath 14 and slightly longer than the sheath, so that its ends project from the ends of the sheath. The adjacent ends of the sections may be separably connected by a link 25, composed of two members separably united at 26, as shown by Fig. 8. Provision is thus made for connecting any desired number of bags and sheaths to form an apparatus of any desired length. It is obvious, however, that the number of bags and sheaths may be variously modified. For example, there may be only two elongated bags, each formed to extend practically the entire length of the vessel.

The apparatus may be carried on a vessel and used to keep it afloat, in case of any accident by torpedoes, or otherwise, the cable and bags being folded below the rail on the outer side and lowered into the water in case of emergency, the cable being adjusted as above described, to form an inexpansible cradle embracing the lower portion of the hull. When the bags are inflated, the apparatus prevents the sinking of the vessel.

A draw cord 30 connected at 31 to the slide link 21, and passing loosely through a link 25 of the cradle, may be employed to pull the slide link to its final position, one end of said cord being above the surface of the water.

I claim:

1. An apparatus of the character stated, comprising a'n elongated weighted cable adapted to surround a portion of a vessels hull, a plurality of inflatable bags, sheaths of heavy woven fabric inclosing said bags, portions of the cable being inserted between the lower edges of the sheaths and the lower edges of the inflatable bags, and means for drawing portions of the cable toward each other and confining said portions to form an inexpansible cradle closely embracing the lower portion of the hull.

2. An apparatus of the character stated, comprising an elongated weighted cable adapted to surround a portion of a vessels.

hull, a plurality of inflatable bags, sheaths of heavy woven fabric inclosing said bags, portions of the cable being inserted between the lower edges of'the sheaths and the lower edges of the inflatable bags, and means for drawing portions of the cable toward each other and confining said portions to form an inexpansible cradle closely embracing the lower portion of the hull, the cable being composed of sections each inserted in a sheath and longer. than the latter, said sections being detachably connected between the sheaths.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

7 his FREDERICK X W. PENDERGAST.

mark WVitnesses C. F. BROWN, GRACE T. PENDERGAST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

